In September 2011, the Army unit paid the company SIMMEC Training Solutions $132,160 to shoot more than 100 live animals so military personnel could practice emergency medical procedures. The animals were also likely burned and had multiple limbs amputated. Then they were killed. SIMMEC failed to provide a veterinarian for one of the training sessions—a violation of its contract and the DOD’s animal use policy. But the Army unit never reported the violation, which is itself a violation.

Retired Air Force Special Operations medic MSgt. Ben Rogers has started a petition on Change.org asking the OIG to investigate both the Army unit and SIMMEC for the violations. By holding both accountable, we can take one step closer to replacing the outdated and inhumane use of live animals in military combat trauma training.